Human Heritage: A World HistoryChapter 1: Geography and HistoryGeography and HistoryMany scientists believe that people have been living on the earth for more than 2 million years. Where and how they lived was influenced by the kind of land on which they lived. The relationships between people and their environment have been the center of world history. The relationships between geography and history are the central focus of Chapter 1. Section 1 introduces the six essential elements of geography—the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and society, and the uses of geography—and describes how these elements explain what a place is like and why. Section 2 describes how landforms and climate have shaped history and introduces the concepts of plate tectonics and continental drift. Section 3 focuses on the ways that natural resources have affected the location and growth of settlements throughout history. Section 4 tells about ancient legends that people in China, Africa, and Rumania have used to help explain the past. Section 5 explores how archaeology and carbon dating help scientists learn about ancient civilizations. |  |
